This invention relates generally to a winder for yarn and the like, and in particular to a transfer arrangement for effecting automatic transfers of yarn between the chucks of such a winder.
One of the basic machines used by all yarn producers, usually in batteries of dozens or more machines, is the so-called yarn winder. These machines are needed to wind yarn onto a bobbin tube which is mounted on a rotatable chuck, to form a yarn package on this bobbin tube. The yarn, which term as employed in the present application is intended to include threads, filaments and the like, is usually directly supplied from a producing device to the yarn winding apparatus. Such apparatuses have rotatable chucks which can be moved into and out of surface-driven engagement with a rotatable drive roll. When a yarn package on one of the chucks has reached full size, the incoming "running" yarn must be cut, the bobbin tube with the package removed from the chuck, a new bobbin tube put in place on the chuck, and the winder must be rethreaded with the running yarn so that the yarn can begin to form a new package on the new bobbin tube.
Since textile mills using these winders usually operate continuously, that is 24 hours per day, the necessity that an individual operator be present at the respective winder when a yarn package is completed, to cut the yarn, remove the package, place a new bobbin tube onto the chuck and string up the winder again, has long been considered onerous because of the high labor costs involved.
In my aforementioned copending application, Ser. No. 354,920, I have disclosed a winder which has three chucks and is provided with an automatic yarn transfer system that transfers the incoming "running" yarn from a chuck on which a yarn package has been completed, to another chuck which carries an empty bobbin tube and is therefore ready to start winding the yarn in order to form a new package. My deliberations have meanwhile shown that it is possible to further improve certain features of this apparatus.